Placing temperature and strain sensors directly into a manufacturing environment can help to obtain effective monitoring and control of manufacturing processes for computer chip and mechanical products. If critical conditions in these processes are continuously monitored with sensors, problems can be detected and solved during the processing cycle, resulting in improved product quality and productivity. There are ongoing efforts to fabricate electrically based micro-sensors, such as thin film thermocouples and strain gauges, for in-situ manufacturing process monitoring. Typically, however, with electrically based sensor arrays having a large number of sensors, e.g., that are distributed across a computer chip or mechanical product, the assembly of wires that allow readouts from these arrays can be cumbersome and costly. Monitoring the fabrication of metal structures in hostile manufacturing environments is particularly challenging because the presence of high temperatures, corrosive agents such as acids, alkalis, and oxidizers, and electromagnetic interference can damage an electrical sensor or impair its ability to monitor processes.